The research on our heart and the power we have to maintain its health is plentiful and overwhelming - and so is the research that may shock, surprise, scare and maybe, motivate:

• Men suffer heart attacks about 10 years earlier in life than women.
• But the disease kills more women than men each year, even edging out breast cancer as the number one killer.
• The disease itself can manifest itself differently in the sexes - chest pain for both sexes, but with women more likely to experience pain in their abdomen, neck or back.
• Factors like smoking and depression have a more serious effect on the heart health of women than that of men.
• While heart disease is perceived as an "older woman's disease," - the leading cause of death among women aged 65 years and older - it is also the third leading cause of death among women aged 25-44 years and the second leading cause of death among women aged 45-64 years.
• Since 1900, Cardio Vascular Disease has been the number 1 killer in the United States for every year but 1918.
• Under-educated people are more likely to suffer heart attacks.
• And on and on and on . . . .

Certainly you can find all the research and reasons to take action on your own. Our goal, as with all our e-Newsletters is to be part of your safety net - providing you a flow of information to help you get interested and on the path to a better planned and longer life. The decisions are always yours.

Below are synopses of a variety of new Cool Free Downloads that you'll find on our website. This time out we've mostly focused upon food (what's good to eat and what's good to eat every day), food tips (real calorie counts and nutritional packaging traps), and some good info on cardiac rehab (healthy heart benefits of a gym). We keep adding more downloads and information every few weeks, so keep checking back under our "ToolKit" section of the website. Enjoy!

"Food Packaging Traps - 5 Nutrition-Savvy Tips" - When we walk into a store, emblazoned on nearly every box, bag and bottle on every shelf are a multitude of nutritional claims - screaming, "Buy me! Buy me!" But remember: claims are marketing ploys, pure and simple! So we've provided some rules to follow to make you a truly savvy shopper.

"Dieters Beware: Calorie Counts May Not Be Real" - A new study tells us that prepared foods contain an average of 8% more calories than what their packaging label says. And restaurant meals can contain up to 18% more calories than what the menu claims. And perhaps the worst news is that the Food and Drug Administration says these margins of error are perfectly O.K. Read on for the whole story.

"Foods You Should East Every Day" - This update from the folks who wrote Eat This, Not That! provides information you need to make smart choices as you decide when and what to eat. We focus upon 8 foods that would be good parts of your regular diet - and provide you with a more healthy heart and lifestyle.

"The Best Foods You Probably Aren't Eating - But Should!" - The author of "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" gives us a list of eleven foods that are easy to find, but don't always find their way into our shopping carts. Here's an easy list to read and take directly to the grocery store.

"Cardiac Rehab - The Gym & Health Benefits for Your Heart" - A new study on cardiac rehab tells us that "more is better." Patients who suffered heart attacks, or underwent bypass graft surgery, or were hospitalized for chronic stable angina (chest pain after exertion) lived longer and had fewer subsequent heart attacks when they had more rehab sessions - all that insurance allowed. Check out the research and PSN's take on getting to the gym.